ADVANCING URBAN
SUSTAINABILITY IN CHINA
AND THE UNITED STATES

PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP

Franklin Carrero-Martínez, Jennifer Saunders, and Emi Kameyama,
Rapporteurs

Committee on Advancing Urban Sustainability in
China and the United States:
A Workshop

Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Policy and Global Affairs

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s George and Cynthia Mitchell Endowment for Sustainability Science. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-67721-9
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-67721-1
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25794

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Advancing Urban Sustainability in China and the United States: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.s https://doi.org/10.17226/25794.

PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ADVANCING URBAN SUSTAINABILITY IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES: A WORKSHOP

Karen Seto (NAS) (Chair), Frederick C. Hixon Professor of Geography and Urbanization Science, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

Robert Cervero, Professor and Chair, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley

Frances Colón, Chief Executive Officer, Jasperi Consulting

Susan Hanson (NAS), Distinguished University Professor Emerita, School of Geography, Clark University

Jiahua Pan, Director, Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Yong-Guan Zhu, Professor, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biology; Director General, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Project Staff

Franklin Carrero-Martínez, Senior Director, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Theme Lead, Global Policy and Development

Emi Kameyama, Associate Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Melissa Franks, Senior Program Assistant, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program (until February 2020)

Consultant

Jennifer Saunders, Consultant writer

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Preface and Acknowledgments

Both the United States and China are experiencing major urban challenges due to rapid population growth and other factors. For instance, in the United States, the urban proportion of the population has grown to over 80 percent in the last decade. Demographers forecast that it is expected to reach about 89 percent by 2050. During this same period, China will experience even more dramatic urbanization: Its urban population will increase from about 50 percent to about 78 percent. This growth is taking place as cities face growing challenges in multiple fronts, including, among other things, climate change, water and energy shortages, pollution, and aging infrastructure. As the growth of Chinese and U.S. cities continue to accelerate, it is important for the scientific community to support research that will further collective understanding of the interconnections between the natural and built environments and how they interact with society.

On December 16, 2019, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Science and Technology for Sustainability program, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, convened a one-day public workshop on urban sustainability in China and the United States. The workshop focused on the intersection of urban climate change mitigation and adaptation, urban health, and sustainable transportation, including green infrastructure and urban flooding in both countries. The workshop was made possible by financial support from the National Acad-

emies George and Cynthia Mitchell Endowment for Sustainability Science, whom we thank for its support.

This Proceedings of a Workshop was prepared by the workshop rapporteurs as a factual summary of what was presented and discussed at the workshop. The planning committee’s role was limited to planning and convening the workshop. The statements made are those of the rapporteurs and do not necessarily represent positions of the workshop participants as a whole, the planning committee, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. We wish to extend sincere thanks to all the members of the planning committee for their contributions in scoping, developing, and carrying out this project.

This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this proceedings: Chris Hendrickson, Carnegie Mellon University (retired); Catherine Ross, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yan Song, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and Kongjian Yu, Peking University. Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings nor did they see the final draft before its release. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.

Franklin Carrero-Martínez, Senior Director
Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Contents

1 INTRODUCTION

Workshop Context and Organization,

Introductory Remarks,

Overview and Goals of the Workshop,

2 CURRENT LANDSCAPE FOR SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA

U.S. Perspective,

Chinese Perspective,

National Science Foundation Perspective,

Discussion,

3 URBAN SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Urban Development in China,

Sustainability Challenges at the University Level,

Role of Universities: A Synthesis of Recent Research Projects,

Discussion,

4 ARCHITECTURE, URBAN DESIGN, AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES

Nature-Based Solutions and Performance,

Microclimate Regulation in Cities,

Happy Cities: Maximizing Human Well-Being Through Urban Design,

A Climatic Perspective,

Discussion,

5 DATA AND EARTH OBSERVATION FOR DECISION MAKING

Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals,

Data Gaps and Urban Expansion in China,

Lessons from the Earth from Space Institute’s Inaugural Symposium,

Discussion,

6 ADDRESSING KEY INTERSECTING ISSUES IN URBAN SUSTAINABILITY

Circular Economy and Green Infrastructure,

People-Centric Design for Sustainable Cities,

Benefits Of Cross-Sectoral Approaches for Urban Sustainability,

7 THE WAY FORWARD: FUTURE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

APPENDIXES

A Workshop Agenda

B Biographies of Speakers and Moderators

C Registered Workshop Participants